Plug connecter



Jan. 15, 1924. 1,481,233 H. SIEBEN PLUG CONNECTER Filed Feb. 9 1920 INVENTOR Hnry 5/2950? 21 TTORZVE Y Patented Jan. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MY 5mm, 0! mm CITY, IISSOUBI, ASBIGIOB. TO CRADLE C. HOKI'IB, 01'

mm CITY, IIBSOUBI.

PLUG CONNECTED.

Application filed Iebmry a, mo. Serial Io. 351,1.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, HENRY Smamw a citizen of the United States, residing at nsas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plug Connectors:

and I do declare the following to be a full clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to connecter plugs for effecting a connection between a source of electric current and a source of consumption. The device is particularly adapted for use in connection with electric irons although it obviously may be used with other electric heating devices.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a. plug connecter which will permit current to be supplied to a heating device until the heating device becomes hot enou h to operate a thermostat, whereupon t e thermostat will permit actuation of a switch in the connecter to break the circuit.

The invention also contemplates the provision of means for guiding the connecter onto the contact plugs or pins as well as to provide means for rigidly attaching the connecter to the heating device with which it is associated.

In the drawings:

Fig. I is a disassociated view of an electric iron and a plug connecter therefor.

Fig. II is a sectional view through the plug connecter showing the ratchet, its detent and the thermostat in elevation.

Fig. III is a sectional view through the plug connecter showing the switch contacts in elevation, and

Fig. IV is a vertical longitudinally sec:

tional view throu h the connecter and a part of the heel o the iron.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference:

1 designates an electric iron of approved construction provided with the usual plug contacts 2 and 3. On the heel of the iron is a socket formed by the plate 4 fastened to the iron by any suitable means and projecting rearwardly from said socket is a stand bracket 5 to support the iron when it is tilted over on its heel. The plug connecter is shown as consisting of a casing made of 3 plates 6, 7 and 8 to provide recesses 9 and 10. The plates are fastened together by any well known means and extending downwardly from the rear plate 8 1s a (projection 11 to engage in the socket 4 an this projection with the assistance of the hook 12 in the slotted handle 13 tends to hold the plug rigidly connected to the iron independent of the plugs 2 and 3. Within the recess 9 are contacts 14 and 15 normally bridged by the switch pins 16 and 17 carried by the rotatable switch shaft 18 projecting through the plates 6, 7 and 8 and having its rear end extending beyond'the outer plate 8 to receive a coil spring 19, one end of which is connected to the shaft 18 and the other end of which engages the plate, the spring being covered by a housing 20, the coil spring 19 has a normal tendenc to swing the switch to the dotted line position shown in Fi III so as to move the fingers 16 and 1 off their contacts and break the circuit. The shaft is normally held against rotation, however by a ratchet 21 rigid on the shaft 18 and located within the recess 10, said ratchet being normally engaged by detent 22 mounted upon a resilient bar 23, one end of which engages the casing and the other end of which is connected to a link 24 mounted upon the thermostat bar 25. It will be observed that the bar 25 is bowed downwardly so that any expansion of the bar will pull the pawl 22 out of enga ement with. the teeth of the ratchet 21. rdinarily, the plug 26 may be inserted in a socket and the plug connecter may then be brought into engagement with the device to be heated, as for example, the iron, a perfect contact being insured by the guide projection 11 which must en age the socket 4 to center the springs 27 an 28 with respect to the plugs 2 and 3. As the projection 11 is being introduced into the socket, the plug maybe tilted slightly forward to cause the hook 12 to engage the slotted handle 13 as shown in Fi IV. Current being supplied, the heating e ement will start to heat but just as soon as the heated device registers a determined temperature, the thermostat bar 25 will expand and release the detent 22 from engagement with the ratchet, the spring 19 Wlll thereupon actuate the switch shaft 18 to swing the switch fingers 15 and 16 oil? their con tacts to break the circuit. The circuit can then only be restored manually.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Lettels Patent, is:

1. A plug connecter comprising a casing, electric contacts in said casing, a shaft, fingers on said shaft engaging said contacts, a ratchet on said shaft, a bowed spring lever in the casing, a detent on said bowed spring lever for engagement with the ratchet, a thermostat bar and a connection between the thermostat bar and the bowed spring lever.

2. A plug connecter comprising a casing, electric contacts in said casing, a shaft passin transversely through the casing, movab e contacts on the shaft for engagement with the first named contacts, a spring for actuating the shaft to normally urge the movable contacts out of engagement with the first named contacts, a ratchet on said shaft, .a detent for engagement with the ratchet to normally prevent rotation of the shaft to move the second mentioned contacts into functional position, and a thermostat connected to the detent for moving it out of engagement with the ratchet when the temperature of the casing reaches a determined value.

3. A plu connecter comprising a casing, rigid electric contacts in said casing, a shaft mounted transversely in the casing, fingers amas on said shaft for engaging the rigid contacts, a spring for rotating said shaft, a

tent to move out of engagement with the ratchet when the temperature of the casing reaches a determined value.

4:. A plug connecter comprising a casing,

fixed contacts in said casing, a spring-actuated rotatable shaft mounted transversely of the casing, fingers on said shaft for engagement with the contacts, the shaft being normally urged to rotate in a direction to move the fingers out of engagement with the contacts, a thermostat, a detent for normally holding the shaft against rotation to normally maintain the fingers in engagement with the contacts, and a yielding connection between the detent and the thermostat, the thermostat being operative when subjected to abnormal heat to withdraw the detent through the yielding connection from on gagement with the shaft so that the spring can exert force to rotate the shaft to move the fingers out of engagement with the con-- tacts.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HENRY SIEBEN. 

